Learning from Experience
Personal narratives from the criminal justice system
Justice should be compassionate, forgiving and healing – restorative, not retributive. We want to change attitudes and encourage the criminal justice system to move towards this vision of justice.
From Quaker News - summer 2009
An invitation to be part of a new QPSW Crime, Community and Justice Group initiative
The real effect of sentences
Crime, Community and Justice Group believe that a better understanding of the consequences of the use of custodial and community sentences will encourage a search for less damaging and more constructive responses.
To do this we want to know what actually happened – or may still be happening – to individuals affected when someone receives a prison or community sentence.
Personal narratives
A custodial or community sentence affects many more people than the person who has been convicted: their family and friends; the victim and their family and friends; the wider community.
We want to know the practical and emotional effect, the worst thing about the experience, whether there was anything positive about it, and if something or someone could or did make things better.
Your participation
We are asking Friends throughout the country to participate by contributing and collecting stories directly from anyone affected in this way.
You don’t have to be involved in any way with the criminal justice system: you may know someone where you work or live or meet socially who has a story to tell.
We are providing guidelines for doing this work.
Justice should be compassionate, forgiving and healing – restorative, not retributive.
We want to change attitudes and encourage the criminal justice system to move towards this vision of justice.
Quaker Peace & Social Witness Crime, Community and Justice Group
Learning from experience
What we learn from these personal narratives will be used in a variety of ways, working within the Framework for Action 2009–2014.
We will help to identify gaps and opportunities for improvements in the criminal justice system, inform and support Friends in their activities, and work with others campaigning for change.
Be part of this Yearly Meeting work!
Contact us for a copy of our pack with full details including how to collect and contribute personal narratives.
Contact: Crime, Community and Justice Group, QPSW, Friends House, 173 Euston Road,
London NW1 2BJ
Tel: 020 7663 1036
Email: paulah@quaker.org.uk
Quakers are well known for our work in supporting prisoners and in campaigning for reform of our justice system. Quaker work includes promoting alternatives to violence, alternatives to custody, restorative justice and support for the families of prisoners and for communities affected by crime.…
We would like to this area exemplify ways in which central, local and individual effort and experience can be brought together in a campaign over a long time to influence public opinion to transform the criminal justice system.
Framework for Action 2009–2014 Crime, Community and Justice section f, p19
